Looking for a contractor to tackle the renovation of your Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton area home?  We often hear news reports of consumers who have been ripped off by unethical contractors, or left with a huge mess by incompetent and unlicensed workers.  How do you go about finding somebody who will do a great job for a reasonable price?

My assistant recently had two bathrooms in her home upgraded by a contractor.  “We put off the work for far too long because we didn’t know who could do the job for us and were afraid to just pick somebody at random.  Luckily, a friend of mine who is very particular about how her home looks had just had her bathroom renovated.  She recommended we try the fellow she’d used, and we were thrilled with the results.”  Getting a recommendation from someone you know, and seeing the contractor’s work first-hand is by far the best way to hire a contractor for similar work.  But what if you don’t know anyone who has had recent work done?

Two excellent sources of advice for finding a contractor, dealing with the contract, estimates, permits, overseeing the work, payment and everything else that goes with a renovation are the following:

• Home Renovations Consumer Tipsheet from Service Alberta:   Contents of this 8-page sheet written in plain language include:

Get written estimates

Check references

Warning flags

Hire qualified tradespeople

Signing the contract

Working with prepaid contractors

Also included is a section explaining what to do if you run into problems, along with a handy contract checklist, and where to find more information.

• Hiring a Contractor – Fact sheet from Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).  Topics include:

Who do you hire?

Finding and choosing a contractor [excellent list of questions to ask]

Getting estimates or proposals

Get it in writing

The contract

Completion certificate

Holdbacks

Working with your contractor

Consumer protection laws

About insurance

Checklist – Hiring a contractor

Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage for even more resources, including a Sample Renovation Contract and a video on Hiring a Contractor.

The Better Business Bureau is also a good source of information.  Take a look at their article “Quick Tips for Hiring a Home Contractor – Do You Know the Red Flags?” and use their database to check out contractors.

Comments or questions about this article?  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

Do you have a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) against your home in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, the Edmonton region or elsewhere?  This valuable lending tool has many practical uses:

• Investment borrowing
• Borrowing for education
• Rental property investment
• Home improvements
• Debt consolidation
• Alternative to higher-rate loans
• Down payment source for a second property
• Emergency backup fund

At the moment a HELOC can allow homeowners to borrow up to 80% of their home’s appraised value at very reasonable interest rates.  But that is about to change within as short a time period as 3 weeks.

Fran Jenkins, Mortgage Specialist at ATB Financial in Spruce Grove, advises that the OSFI (Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions in Canada) has set out new lending guidelines for all federally regulated lenders to limit new HELOCs to 65% Loan-to-Value.  Banks have until the end of their fiscal years to comply, and for most banks in Canada, that means October 31, 2012 (up to March 31, 2013 for other institutions such as credit unions).  Expect to see most banks moving on this well before the official deadline.

While OSFI says that existing HELOC holders will be grandfathered, you may want to check with your bank to ensure that your HELOC is set up the way you want it, especially if you need a HELOC equaling 66% to 80% of your home’s value.

The new rules also affect readvanceable mortgages.

For more details on the new mortgage rules, read the article “OSFI Toughens Mortgage Underwriting” from Canadian Mortgage Trends.com.

Comments or questions about this article?  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

How dry is your Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton area basement?  With one of the wettest summers on record upon us, you might be one of those unfortunate homeowners dealing with a flooded basement.  Whether you’re in the process of cleaning up, or you’ve been spared so far and want to stay that way, check out the following for some good advice:

Preventing the Problem

“Steps you can take to prevent basement flooding”, published in the Saturday, July 21, 2012 edition of the Edmonton Journal.

“The Homeowner’s Guide to Flood Prevention”, produced by the City of Edmonton.

“Before Flooding”, concise and comprehensive factsheet from Alberta Municipal Affairs, Emergency Management Alberta.

“Avoiding Basement Flooding”, factsheet from CMHC.

“Protect Your Home From Basement Flooding”, from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction  (includes a handy score sheet to determine your risk for flooding).  View their video “Reduce basement flooding”.

Check out also “City of Spruce Grove Homeowner’s Guide to Lot Grading”  and Spruce Grove’s “Residential Lot Grading and Maintenance” information sheet and regulations.

What to Do After a Flood

“Cleaning your home after a flood”, Alberta Health Services.

“Flood Disaster: What to do before, during and after flooding”, excellent and detailed booklet from Alberta Municipal Affairs, Emergency Management Alberta.

“After the Flood:  A Homeowner’s Checklist”, factsheet from CMHC.

“Cleaning Up Your House After a Flood”, CMHC free download.

“A Guide to Fixing Your Damp Basement”, available from CMHC for $9.95.

“Cleaning Up After the Flood: a guide for homeowners”, Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.

City of Spruce Grove Disaster Recovery Program 

See also my blog article entitled “Spring Run-off”, posted April 10, 2012.

Comments or questions about this article?  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

Ah, spring.  Warm sunny days, robins returning, snow disappearing – and water everywhere.  As a home owner in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, the Edmonton region or elsewhere, you do everything you can to protect your property.  Would it surprise you to learn that the leading cause of damage to property is not break-ins or fire or wild winds, but water?  In fact, more than half of all insurance claims, about 1.3 billion dollars’ worth in Canada, are due to water damage.  This type of claim is likely to increase as infrastructure ages, the climate changes, and home owners finish every square foot of their dwellings.

We’ve all seen the stories in the media about flood damage in Manitoba and parts of the US, but that type of large-scale catastrophe is less common than all the other ways water can ruin a home.  And most of the everyday type of water damage, caused by a leaky roof, backed-up sewer or spring run-off, is preventable.  Here are a few things you can do to minimize water problems:

• Walk around the entire outside of your home, keeping your eyes open for all the places water could get in.

• Does the grade slope away from your home without any dips where the ground has settled?  There should be no area where water drains back toward the house.

• Do the downspouts from eavestroughs extend at least 6 feet from the house?

• Do all doors and windows fit snugly without any cracks where water could seep in?

• As spring approaches, are you diligent about clearing snow and ice away from your home?

• On the roof:

• Inspect the roof for missing or damaged shingles and repair any problems.  If your roof is older than 15 years, it might be time for a whole new roof.

• Are the eavestrough gutters free and clear of debris so that water can flow freely off the roof?

• Check seals around chimneys, skylights and vents to ensure they are water-tight.

• Inside your home:

• Regularly check all plumbing (including your hot water tank) and appliances for leaks, and for trouble signs such as rust around a faucet or corrosion around the washing machine hose.  One trick for testing whether a toilet is leaking:  Add food coloring to the tank.  If the color seeps into the bowl after about 20 minutes, you have a leak.

• Burst pipes can cause a major mess.  Besides checking for leaks, check that insulation in these areas is adequate.

• Consider installing a sump pump, backwater valve or water sensor, if you don’t already have these items.

• Examine all ceilings for stains which could indicate spots where water has gotten in.

• If you store valuable items in the basement, put them in plastic bins up off the floor.

• Don’t run appliances such as dishwasher or washing machine when nobody is home.

A few other suggestions:

• When you leave on vacation, even for a long weekend, have someone do regular checks of your residence.  Check all taps and faucets before you leave (turn off the water to the washing machine!), and consider even turning off the main water valve.

• Review your insurance coverage to make sure you are covered for water perils such as sewer backup and the like.

• If your home is starting to show its age, consider hiring a home inspector to go over your home with you, looking specifically for problem areas before they develop into full-blown trouble.

I love to hear your comments or questions!  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

“Got a half hour to kill?  Use it to spruce up your house.”  So begins a useful article from the March 24, 2012 edition of the Edmonton Journal entitled “Take time for a quick home spruce-up”. 

Most of us want our homes in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, the Edmonton region or elsewhere to look great, but often the chore of keeping them looking immaculate feels a little overwhelming.  This article suggests a number of quick touch-ups that will make your home look and feel a lot better, whether you are doing it for yourself or as part of staging your home for sale.

The author, Mary Beth Breckenridge, starts by suggesting a tour through every part of your home with notebook in hand and a critical eye.  Write down every single thing that isn’t quite right.  You won’t be fixing them during this walk-through but it will give you an idea of things, big and small, that should probably be attended to. 

Now, for a few fix-ups.  Breckenridge suggests not just polishing but actually touching up the woodwork of window and door frames, baseboards, etc. to cover up the scratches and dings of day-to-day wear.  Read the article for her product suggestions!  Chipped paint on walls can be given similar treatment.

Breckenridge recommends Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and Scrubbing Bubbles spray to get rid of smudges around light switches, door knobs and so on. 

And then there are the places where dust likes to accumulate but which we often ignore when we do our weekly cleaning ritual:  light fixtures (don’t forget to dust the bulbs, and it’s probably time to take apart and wash the chandelier over the dining room table) and fans (including fan blades and bathroom exhaust fans), the tops of doors, the crevices between the carpet edge and baseboards (use the crevice tool on your vacuum for this one).  Think high and low, as in ceilings and baseboards.

You won’t be doing all of these things during one cleaning stint, but they make for a quick home brightener if tackled one by one, Breckenridge claims, and are not as time-consuming or onerous as one might think.   Read the full article for lots of good ideas to keep your home looking its best.

Got some great home maintenance tips to share?  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

Are you a water hog or a water miser?  Chances are, if you’re like most Canadians, whether you live in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or elsewhere, you use more water than you should.  This excessive water use costs us as homeowners, in higher water bills, and as citizens, putting a strain on infrastructure and resources.

 “Stemming the flow of H2O”, an article in the March 3, 2012 issue of the Edmonton Journal and written by Patrick Langston of the Ottawa Citizen, contains some startling statistics about water use.  For instance, the article states that Canadians on average use 340 litres of water per person per day, the 2^nd highest amount in the world.

Other facts quoted in the article:

• Roughly 65% of indoor water use occurs in the bathroom.
• One drop per second from a leaky faucet can waste about 10,000 litres of water in a year.  A toilet that keeps running after it’s flushed can waste up to 200,000 litres per year (enough to fill 2 swimming pools!)
• Standard shower heads release 15 to 20 litres of water per minute.  A low-flow model cuts that amount in half.  
• A standard 18-litre-per-flush toilet, flushed 4 times per day, uses close to 30,000 litres per year.  Think of how much water (and money!) can be saved by replacing one standard toilet with a low-flow model that uses 6 litres or less per flush.
• It takes about 265 litres to fill a standard bathtub, more (sometimes much more) for a soaker tub.
• Most front-loading washing machines use about 75 litres per load, about half that of top loaders.
• Think you’re saving money and water if you hand wash your dishes?  Hand washing uses about 75 litres, while an Energy Star dishwasher takes about 15 litres per load.

Tips and information abound in this useful article. Some of these things we’ve heard before, like not leaving the tap running when you brush your teeth or wash your hands.  Other tips may be new, such as installing a thermostatic valve in the shower so that the shower can be shut off while lathering without having to re-set the water temperature when the tap is turned back on. 

The article concludes with conservation tips borrowed from the website WaterUseItWisely.com.  This excellent website offers over 100 ways to conserve water, such as:

• When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing.  Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• Wash vegetables in a bowl of water instead of under a running tap.  Then use the vegetable water to water houseplants.
• Keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.
• When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.  Better yet, aim to run your machine only for full loads.
• Install an instant water heater near your kitchen sink so you don’t have to run the water while it heats up.

Read the article  and check out WaterUseItWisely.com for much more information.  Whether the tips you’ll find there are new or old, we all can stand to be reminded of ways we can help the planet and our wallets!

I would be happy to help you find an energy-efficient home!  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

A good solid lock is one of the best ways to secure the biggest investment most of us will ever make, whether it’s an acreage in Parkland County, a house in Stony Plain or a condo in Spruce Grove.  But what if that lock is sticking and your key is not reliably locking and unlocking the door each time?  Are there some simple fixes, or do you have to get a locksmith to replace every lock in your home?

I recently ran across an article entitled “When your key doesn’t unlock the door” published in the January 13, 2012 issue of the Grove Examiner.  This article, also found online on the Edmonton Sun website, is well worth a read.  The author, noted security expert Frank Fourchalk, has numerous suggestions to solve the problem, from using good old reliable WD-40, to tightening various screws and filing the strike plates, to re-keying (not replacing) your locks, and more.  Read his excellent advice on everything relating to home security on his own website, Your Home Security.ca 

If you’re concerned about security in your home, take a look also at my checklists:

Home Security Checklist 

Fire Safety Checklist 

Looking to buy or sell in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or the Edmonton area?  Give me a call at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca or contact me here.

How energy-efficient is your Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton area home?  Chances are that no matter how well your home is doing, there’s still room for improvement, and that’s true even if you’ve taken advantage of government programs and grants to upgrade such things as the insulation, windows, heating system and the like in your home.

“Make your home an energy fortress”, published January 28, 2012 in the Edmonton Journal asks:  “where exactly should you invest when it comes to ramping up your home’s energy efficiency?”

The article quotes Christopher Straka from Ottawa’s Vert Design, a firm that deals with residential and commercial planning, design and development:   “Every home has its own energy strengths and weaknesses … based on age, construction and other factors. Only an energy audit, which you’ll need to tap into federal grant programs for upgrades, can pinpoint your individual energy issues.  … your best bet is still tightening up the building’s envelope: caulking and weather stripping to reduce leakage, more insulation, and better windows and doors.”

Many of the other things we can do, the article’s author, Patrick Langston, tells us, have an initial cost, but this may be offset somewhat by government grants, and will pay off the longer we remain in our homes.  Don’t forget also that each of these improvements will increase the resale value and saleability of your home.  While it will cost about $1 per square foot of attic to upgrade insulation and plug air leaks, doing so can save $400+ per year.  Spend $3000 to $6000 on a new high-efficiency furnace, and expect to save $500+ annually in heating costs.  Switch to a tankless hot water heater at a cost of about $3000, and save $150 per year.  Read the whole article for other upgrades that will save energy and money.

Planning to retrofit your home or buy a resale home?  Check out fact sheets available at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation website that recommend upgrades for 11 housing types in 5 regions of Canada.

Also included in the article are notes on exciting new technologies that promise to do even more for the energy misers among us.  The article concludes with a reminder about the many gadgets most of us can’t live without that gobble up energy, and suggests ways we can reduce our dependence on these energy thieves.  Check out the full article.

Looking for a new more energy-efficient home?  Give me a call at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

If you’re thinking of renovating your home in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, the Edmonton region or elsewhere, there is something you need to read before you even think of visiting the local Home Depot or hiring a contractor.

An article by Mike Holmes in the January 14, 2012 edition of the Edmonton Journal entitled “No building permit? You’re asking for trouble” (posted online as “Before renovating, get the proper permits — or you’ll regret it”) gives the details about why this document is so critical.

In fact, having a building permit is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself and the time and money you invest in a renovation.  That little piece of paper comes with inspections by municipal building inspectors who check the work to see that it’s safe and built to code.

Why is this important?  For starters, you may not know that municipal officials can force you to shut down a project without a permit or even tear down completed work that hasn’t been inspected.  Work that hasn’t been inspected may be fine – but we hear far too many stories about unlicensed contractors doing shoddy work that not only brings down the value of your property but may end up damaging and destroying other properties in your neighborhood.  A permit may cost you a few dollars and a bit of time, but having things done right is worth it.

Read Mike Holmes’ article for the full story.

Looking for property to fix up and rent out or flip?  I can help you find just the right place.  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

Do you know anyone in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or the Edmonton region who has been the victim of a burglary?  To ensure that this unpleasant experience never happens to you, take a look at our Home Security Checklist.

This list may be one of the most comprehensive you will ever find, starting outside your home with a look at your neighborhood in general, outdoor security and valuables, landscaping, exterior lighting, the garage and other outbuildings.  Focusing on your home itself, items to check here include entry doors and locks, windows, the home interior and its contents, and special circumstances, such as alarm systems, firearms, swimming pool safety, and fire safety.  The document concludes with a special checklist just for things you need to consider while on vacation.  Chances are there are a few things on the Home Security Checklist you haven’t thought of doing, and those things just might make your home more secure and less burglar-friendly!

You might also be interested in our Fire Safety Checklist.

Some related blog posts:

• Summertime Home Security Tips (August 12, 2011)
• Winter Isn’t For Wimps! (October 21, 2011)
• Cyber Security (October 25, 2011)

Looking for a new home, especially one with more security features?  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.